son of
Gruffydd ap Hywel
(from
Collwyn
), of
Bron-y-Foel
in the township of
Ystumllyn
and the parish of
Ynyscynhaiarn
,
Eifionydd
, by
Angharad
, daughter of
Tegwared y Bais Wen
. His paternal grandmother was a grand-daughter of
Ednyfed Fychan
(q.v.)
. A younger son, he acquired fame in the
French Wars
of
Edward
III
. The tradition that he won his spurs at
Poitiers
is not, however, confirmed by the evidence. Since a year before that battle he was receiving a fee as a
knight in royal service
, it would appear that there is truth in the alternative tradition that he
commanded a corps of Welshmen
at
Crecy
(
1346
) where he made a substantial contribution to victory, being created a
knight-banneret
on the field of battle. There is no doubt that he was also present at
Poitiers
(though the belief that he captured the
Frenchking
has no foundation), and his famous axe seems to have made a great impression on that occasion. It is said that the
Black Prince
gave the weapon a place of honour in the royal hall, ordering food to be served before it daily, which was later distributed as alms; instituted at first, perhaps, in a half facetious spirit, this practice became a traditional ceremonial which, according to
SirJohnWynn
(see
Wynn
of
Gwydir
family
), was not discontinued until the time of
Elizabeth
.

Hywel
was still in
royal service
in
1359
. It was about this time that he became
constable of Criccieth castle
(one of several offices of profit conferred upon him by the
Crown
), at which place he resided during his later years, life in the castle in
Hywel
's day being vividly described in a poem by
Iolo Goch
. His wife was
Tanglwst
, daughter of one
Dafydd Fychan ap Hywel
; there was one son,
Gruffydd
, who left no direct heirs. But several old
Eifionydd
families traced their descent from his elder brother,
Einion
.

Sources:

Heraldic Visitations
of Wales and Part of the Marches
, 1846
, ii, 101;